Door latch

ABSTRACT

A door and latch particularly for poultry crates, the door being formed with a rectangular-shaped opening in which the latch is movable and is spring urged to its closed position. The latch includes a latching element depending from the inner face of the door and formed with an inturned lip which serves as a camming surface automatically latching the door when closed. The latch further includes a finger piece extending upwardly from the outer face of the door for manually unlatching it against the action of the spring. The latter is constituted by a resilient rod passing through the latch, the opposite ends of the rod being receivable in seats formed in the door on opposite sides of the rectangular opening.

United States Patent [72] Inventor ltzhak Kantor l-loi llacarmel, Israel [21] Appl. No. 882,128 [22] Filed Dec. 4, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 [73] Assignee Plasson Meagan Michael Industries Ltd. l-Ioi l-lacarmel, Israel [54] DOOR LATCH 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 217/57, 292/175, 217/36 [51] Int. Cl 865d 43/16 [50] Field of Search 217/57, 36; 220/83, 31, 35, D16. 14; 292/175, DlG.38, 171, 163

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,521,572 12/1924 Hammer etal. 292/175 Primary ExaminerRaphael H. Schwartz AttorneyBenjarnin J. Barish ABSTRACT: A door and latch particularly for poultry crates, the door being formed with a rectangular-shaped opening in which the latch is movable and is spring urged to its closed position. The latch includes a latching element depending from the inner face of the door and formed with an intumed lip which serves as a camming surface automatically latching the door when closed. The latch further includes a finger piece extending upwardly from the outer face of the door for manually unlatching it against the action of the spring. The latter is constituted by a resilient rod passing through the latch, the opposite ends of the rod being receivable in seats formed in the door on opposite sides of the rectangular open- PATENTED m M972 3,632,007

INVENTOR ITZHAK KANTOR ATTO R NE Y DOOR LATCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door and latch therefor, and also to a poultry crate including such door and latch.

2. Description of the Prior Art Plastic poultry crates are now widely used, and a number of door and latch arrangements have been devised for such crates. Some of the most widely used door and latch arrangements are not automatically self-latching (i.e., upon closing the door); others are difficult to disassemble for repair purposes; and still others are made of a number of relatively complicated and costly parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door and latch of a novel construction having advantages in all the above respects. A further object is to provide a poultry crate utilizing such door and latch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a door and latch in which the door is formed with a rectangular-shaped opening and the latch includes a latch member disposed in the opening and movable by a spring to latching position. The latch member includes a latching element depending from the inner face of the door and formed with an inturned lip the outer surface of which constitutes a camming surface automatically latching the door closed when the door is permitted to fall. The latch member is further formed with a finger piece extending upwardly from the outer face of the door for manually moving the latch member to the unlatching position against the action of the spring.

According to a further feature, the spring comprises a resilient rod passing through the latch member, the opposite ends of the rod being receivable in seats formed in the door on opposite sides of the rectangular opening.

According to still further features, the seats are formed with open slots to facilitate removal and dissembly of the latch. In addition, the rectangular opening is circumscribed, on at least the two opposite sides thereof parallel to the movement of the latch member, by a rim of reduced thickness, the latch member being formed with an integral extension on each side thereof slidable on one face of the rim for guiding the movement of the latch member. Separate guide elements are further provided, these being slidable on the opposite face of the rim and in alignment of each of the integral extensions.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a plastic poultry crate constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a part of the door and latch used in the poultry crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view, looking from the right-hand end, of the door and latch of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along lines IV-IV of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The poultry crate illustrated in FIG. 1 is made of molded plastic material and includes a top wall 2, a bottom wall 4 and four sidewalls 6. This type of crate is made in two halves which halves are secured together by plastic pins 8. A door and latch construction in accordance with the present invention is mounted in the top wall 2 of the crate and serves as the closable lid therefor. The door is indicated at and the latch at 12. The door 10 is pivotably mounted along one edge 10' of the top wall 2 of the crate, the latch 12 being positioned close to the opposite or closing edge 10" of the door.

All the walls of the crate are preferably made of an open construction, such as shown by sidewalls 6 and door 10 (but now shown in top wall 2, FIG. I

Door 10 is formed with a rectangular opening 14 adjacent to its closing edge 10'. Latch I2 is disposed in this opening and is movable therein toward and away from door edge I0". A spring 16, in the form of a resilient rod passing through the latch member, biases the latch member to the latching position, i.e., toward door edge 10''.

The ends of resilient rod 16 are receivable in seats 18 formed in the door adjacent to edge 10', on opposite sides of rectangular openings 14. Seats 18 are formed with open slots 18, the openings facing door edge 10''. This facilitates insertion and removal of resilient rod 16, which enables the latch to be assembled and disassembled in a quick and facile member as will be described more fully below.

Openings 14 in door 10 is circumscribed on its four sides by a rim 20 of reduced thickness with respect to the bordering areas of the door. While all four sides of the rim are so reduced, it is actually only necessary to provide the reduced thickness to the two opposite sides of the rim parallel to the movement of the latch member, i.e., those indicated at 20', 20" in FIG. 2.

Latch 12 is formed of a single integral piece of plastic and includes a transverse opening 22 through which spring rod 16 passes; a latching element 24 depending from the inner or lower face of the door; and a finger piece 26 extending upwardly from the opposite or outer face of the door for manually moving the latch member to its unlatching position.

Latching element 24 is formed with a horizontal shoulder 24' and a depending inturned lip 24". The outer surface of lip 24" serves as a camming surface engageable with a fixed element in the path thereof when the door is closed. In this case, the fixed element is the rim 26 formed in the top wall 2 of the crate engageable by the latch when the door is closed.

It will be seen that when the door 10 is dropped against rim 26 of the top wall 2, camming surface 24" of latching element 24 will first engage rim 26, moving latch 12 away from edge 10 of the door (i.e., leftwardly in FIG. 4) until the top horizontal surface 24' of the latch clears rim 26, at which time resilient rod 16 will return the latch (rightwardly in F IG. 4), so that horizontal surface 24' of the latch underlies rim 26, whereby the door is latched closed. Thus, merely dropping the door 10 on the top wall 2 automatically latches the door closed.

Latch I2 is formed on its upper surface with integral lateral extensions 12 slidable on the upper face of the borders 20, 20" for guiding the movement of the latch. At the underside of the latch the movement is guided by a pair of separate guide elements 21 slidable on the opposite face of the rim and in alignment with extensions 12. Resilient rod 16 also passes through openings in these guide elements These elements are made separate from, rather than integral with, latch member 12 in order to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the latch within opening 14 of the door.

The latch is easily opened by placing a finger or thumb against finger piece 26 and moving it away from door edge 10" against the action of resilient rod 16. This opening movement, as well as the later closing movement, of the latch is guided by the sliding of extensions 12' and guide elements 21 on the opposite faces of rim sides 20', 20 bordering the rectangular opening 14 in the door.

In order to close the door, it is only necessary to permit it to drop whereby it will automatically latch closed by its own weight, in the manner described above.

To assemble the latch, latching member 12 is inserted from above into the rectangular opening 14 in the position illustrated, with the integral extensions 12 against the upper face of rim sides 20, 20", and the separate guide elements 21 on the lower face of the rim sides. Resilient rod 16 is then passed through opening 22 in latch member 12, and in the corresponding openings in the separate guide elements 21, and the ends of the rod are inserted into seats 18 on opposite sides of the rectangular opening 14. As indicated above, the slotting openings 18' in the seats permit the rod 16 to be snapped into place in a very facile manner.

To disassemble the latch, e.g., for repair purposes, it is merely necessary to remove resilient rod 16 from its seats, whereupon the latch member 12 and the guide elements 21 may be easily removed.

It is thus seen that the latch described utilizes only a very few, simple and inexpensive parts, may be easily assembled and disassembled, and automatically is self-latching on dropping the door.

Many variations, modifications and other applications of the illustrated embodiment will be apparent.

What is claimed is:

l. A door and latch therefor, the door being pivotably mountable along one edge and being formed with a rectangular opening adjacent to its opposite, closing edge, the latch including a latch member disposed in said opening, means supporting said latch member for sliding movement in said opening toward and away from said closing edge, and a spring biasing said latch member to the latching position toward said closing edge, said latch member including a latching element depending from one face of said door and formed with an intumed lip, the outer surface of which constitutes a camming surface engageable with a fixed element in the path thereof when the door is closed, for moving the latch away from said closing edge and then permitting the spring to return the latch to automatically latch the door closed, said latch member also including a finger piece extending from the opposite face of the door for manually moving the latch member to the unlatching position against the action of said spring when manually opening the door, said spring comprising a resilient rod passing through said latch member, the opposite ends of said rod being receivable in seats formed in said door on opposite sides of said rectangular opening.

2. A door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said seats are formed with open slots the open sides of which faces said closing edge of the door to facilitate removal and disassembly of the latch.

3. A door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said rectangular opening is circumscribed, on at least the two opposite sides thereof parallel to the movement of the latch member, by a rim of reduced thickness with respect to the bordering areas of the door, said latch member being formed with an integral extension on each side thereof slidable on one face of said rim for guiding the movement of the latch member.

4. A door and latch as defined in claim 3, further including a pair of separate guide elements each slidable on the opposite face of said rim and in alignment with one of said integral extensions.

5. A door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said latch member is formed of a single integral piece of plastic,

6. A poultry crate including a door and latch as defined in claim 1, said crate further including top, bottom and sidewalls, said door being pivotably mounted to the top wall and serving as a closable lid automatically latched closed upon dropping the same onto the top wall. 

1. A door and latch therefor, the door being pivotably mountable along one edge and being formed with a rectangular opening adjacent to its opposite, closing edge, the latch including a latch member disposed in said opening, means supporting said latch member for sliding movement in said opening toward and away from said closing edge, and a spring biasing said latch member to the latching position toward said closing edge, said latch member including a latching element depending from one face of said door and formed with an inturned lip, the outer surface of which constitutes a camming surface engageable with a fixed element in the path thereof when the door is closed, for moving the latch away from said closing edge and then permitting the spring to return the latch to automatically latch the door closed, said latch member also including a finger piece extending from the opposite face of the door for manually moving the latch member to the unlatching position against the action of said spring when manually opening the door, said spring comprising a resilient rod passing through said latch member, the opposite ends of said rod being receivable in seats formed in said door on opposite sides of said rectangular opening.
 2. A door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said seats are formed with open slots the open sides of which faces said closing edge of the door to facilitate removal and disassembly of the latch.
 3. A door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said rectangular opening is circumscribed, on at least the two opposite sides thereof parallel to the movement of the latch member, by a rim of reduced thickness with respect to the bordering areas of the door, said latch member being formed with an integral extension on each side thereof slidable on one face of said rim for guiding the movement of the latch member.
 4. A door and latch as defined in claim 3, further including a pair of separate guide elements each slidable on the opposite face of said rim and in alignment with one of said integral extensions.
 5. A Door and latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said latch member is formed of a single integral piece of plastic.
 6. A poultry crate including a door and latch as defined in claim 1, said crate further including top, bottom and sidewalls, said door being pivotably mounted to the top wall and serving as a closable lid automatically latched closed upon dropping the same onto the top wall. 